Latest news with #TheChicagoSun-Times
Boston Globe
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Take me out to the pope party. It's a ballpark celebration for Leo.
Advertisement More than 30,000 tickets to the event sold out within days of the announcement last month, organizers said. Some tickets quickly appeared on secondary markets for more than $1,200, according to The Chicago Sun-Times. (The White Sox, who are in last place, average fewer than 17,000 fans a game.) Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'This city as a whole is in love with our new pope because he is of us,' said Bob Reiter, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor, a network of labor unions that worked to distribute thousands of tickets to union members. Leo's selection has been particularly electrifying to the labor movement, Reiter said, because he chose a name echoing Leo XIII, who was pontiff from 1878 to 1903 and was sometimes called the Pope of Labor. Advertisement The program Saturday includes music, prayer, speeches and Leo's first public address to an American audience, in the form of an almost eight-minute video recorded at the Vatican. June 14 was chosen because it was the first Saturday that the ballpark was available with no major competing events in the city. An earlier date for the Mass was rejected because it conflicted with a Crosstown Classic baseball game and a Beyoncé concert. But the event arrived at an extraordinary moment for the country. Military vehicles are streaming into Washington for a lavish parade ordered by President Donald Trump, while National Guard troops have been deployed to the streets of Los Angeles. Large protests have been planned in all 50 states under the slogan 'No Kings.' In Chicago, thousands of people are expected at Daley Plaza, 4 miles north of the ballpark. Cupich said in an interview Friday that the date was not chosen as a provocation to Trump, whose policies he has criticized. (Trump's birthday is also Saturday.) But the cardinal said he planned to address the rights of immigrants in his homily at the ballpark. Leo's video message was recorded more than a week ago, and has been described as a message to young people around the world. Other participants include a representative of the White Sox, and the choir from Leo High School on the South Side, an all-boys Catholic school that appeared this past week on 'America's Got Talent.' After the program and a time of prayer, the event will transition into a formal Mass, led by Cupich and a leader of the Augustinian order, to which Leo belongs. The archdiocese is the country's third largest, serving about 2 million Catholics. Advertisement Volunteers include greeters, a 200-person choir and nearly 500 lay ministers and ushers to assist in the distribution of Communion throughout the ballpark. 'When you're planning a party for 30,000 of your closest friends, it is a major, major undertaking,' said Bishop Lawrence Sullivan, vicar general for the archdiocese, who has been involved in the planning. If it rains heavily, the Mass portion of the event may be canceled. As of Friday evening, the forecast was for mild temperatures and partial sun. One aspect that has never been in question is the location of the celebration. Leo grew up just south of Chicago in the suburb of Dolton, Illinois, and has been described by those who know him as a dedicated Sox fan. He was captured by television cameras in the stands of the ballpark watching Game 1 of the World Series in 2005. This past week, he was photographed sporting the team's black-and-white cap with his white papal cassock at a general audience at the Vatican. (The ballpark itself has undergone more name changes than Leo, formerly Robert Prevost. Known as Comiskey Park until 2003, it was U.S. Cellular Field, then Guaranteed Rate Field, and then last year became simply Rate Field. In interviews about the event this past week, many longtime Chicagoans referred to it as 'Comiskey.') The archdiocese has emphasized that all are welcome at the celebration. That includes Catholics, non-Catholics and even Cubs fans. 'It's very apropos that Cub fans have to come to Comiskey to get some religion,' Reiter said. This article originally appeared in
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Mapped: Canada's wildfires are impacting air quality in these US communities
Smoke from wildfires still raging in Canada is degrading air quality across the northern U.S., turning skies a murky orange hue and forcing sensitive groups indoors. In New York, the smoke could be seen in the upper atmosphere from satellites, and an air quality alert was in effect until 11 p.m. Thursday evening. Poor air quality was also in store for Chicagoans, who were told to reduce time spent outdoors. Government maps showed the worst levels of particle pollution around the Windy City and Detroit, with the latter under an advisory through noon on Friday. In Chicago, one area saw an Air Quality Index at a level of 157, which is deemed 'unhealthy.' The particle pollution can affect the eyes, throat, lungs, and heart. Sometimes, it can even lead to premature death. 'It's probably a good idea to limit time outside,' Kevin Doom, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said, according to The Chicago Sun-Times. 'Doing a lot of heavy breathing is probably not ideal on a day like today.' Forecasters said there's a chance an alert there would be extended into Friday, as temperatures across much of the eastern U.S. continue to spike ahead of a rainy weekend. Some of the haze also has to do with ozone pollution, which is linked to that heat. 'On hot and sunny days, especially in urban areas, heat and sunlight react chemically with pollutants in the air to form ground-level ozone, which can be very irritating to people with respiratory problems,' WNBC's Lauren Maroney warned. In the U.S., wildfires have burned in Minnesota, Florida, and the West. There have been more than 1.1 million acres torched to date across the country, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. There are more than 200 active wildfires raging in Canada, and more than 6.4 million acres have burned since the start of the year. Two new blazes were reported on Thursday, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. The deadly fires have resulted in the deaths of two people and forced tens of thousands of people to flee. Officials in Mantiboa and Saskatchewan have declared a state of emergency. Manitoba skies have turned a ruby red color. "I've never seen anything like it," Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said, according to CBC News. Climate change is helping to stoke the flames of wildfires around the world each year, bringing even hotter and drier conditions. As smoke continues to impact millions in the northern U.S., it is heading South. AccuWeather said it might collide with a 2,000-mile-wide plume of Saharan dust later this week. 'This appears to be the largest Saharan dust plume to reach America so far this year,' Lead Hurricane Expert Alex Dasilva said in a statement.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Mapped: Canada's wildfires are impacting air quality in these US communities
Smoke from wildfires still raging in Canada is degrading air quality across the northern U.S., turning skies a murky orange hue and forcing sensitive groups indoors. In New York, the smoke could be seen in the upper atmosphere from satellites, and an air quality alert was in effect until 11 p.m. Thursday evening. Poor air quality was also in store for Chicagoans, who were told to reduce time spent outdoors. Government maps showed the worst levels of particle pollution around the Windy City and Detroit, with the latter under an advisory through noon on Friday. In Chicago, one area saw an Air Quality Index at a level of 157, which is deemed 'unhealthy.' The particle pollution can affect the eyes, throat, lungs, and heart. Sometimes, it can even lead to premature death. 'It's probably a good idea to limit time outside,' Kevin Doom, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said, according to The Chicago Sun-Times. 'Doing a lot of heavy breathing is probably not ideal on a day like today.' Forecasters said there's a chance an alert there would be extended into Friday, as temperatures across much of the eastern U.S. continue to spike ahead of a rainy weekend. Some of the haze also has to do with ozone pollution, which is linked to that heat. 'On hot and sunny days, especially in urban areas, heat and sunlight react chemically with pollutants in the air to form ground-level ozone, which can be very irritating to people with respiratory problems,' WNBC's Lauren Maroney warned. In the U.S., wildfires have burned in Minnesota, Florida, and the West. There have been more than 1.1 million acres torched to date across the country, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. There are more than 200 active wildfires raging in Canada, and more than 6.4 million acres have burned since the start of the year. Two new blazes were reported on Thursday, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. The deadly fires have resulted in the deaths of two people and forced tens of thousands of people to flee. Officials in Mantiboa and Saskatchewan have declared a state of emergency. Manitoba skies have turned a ruby red color. "I've never seen anything like it," Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said, according to CBC News. Climate change is helping to stoke the flames of wildfires around the world each year, bringing even hotter and drier conditions. As smoke continues to impact millions in the northern U.S., it is heading South. AccuWeather said it might collide with a 2,000-mile-wide plume of Saharan dust later this week. 'This appears to be the largest Saharan dust plume to reach America so far this year,' Lead Hurricane Expert Alex Dasilva said in a statement.
Straits Times
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Illinois man sentenced to 53 years for US hate crime that killed Palestinian child
Joseph Czuba stabbed six-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi 26 times, and also stabbed the boy's mother, who was his tenant. PHOTOS: REUTERS, X Illinois man sentenced to 53 years for US hate crime that killed Palestinian child WASHINGTON - A man from Illinois was sentenced on May 2 to 53 years in prison after a jury convicted him of the murder of a six-year-old Palestinian American boy and the severe wounding of his mother in an October 2023 hate crime stabbing, The Chicago Sun-Times reported. Joseph Czuba, 73, stabbed and killed Wadee Alfayoumi and knifed Hanan Shaheen days after US ally Israel began its war on Gaza following Palestinian Hamas militants' Oct 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. Prosecutors said the stabbing - one of the earliest and worst hate crime incidents in the US since the start of the war - was sparked by anti-Muslim hatred. US rights advocates have noted rising Islamophobia, anti-Arab hate and anti-Semitism. Czuba, who was the landlord for Ms Shaheen and her son, stabbed the boy 26 times with a military-style knife with an 18cm serrated blade, authorities said. Shaheen suffered multiple stab wounds in the attack that occurred in Plainfield Township, about 64km south-west of Chicago. Czuba was found guilty in late February. Ms Shaheen testified during the trial that Czuba told her "you, as a Muslim, must die." Other recent incidents raising alarm in the US about anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian prejudice include the attempted drowning of a three-year-old Palestinian American girl and the stabbing of a Palestinian American man, both in Texas. Incidents raising alarm over anti-Semitism and anti-Israel attitudes include an unsuccessful plot to attack a New York Jewish centre and an arson attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's residence. Hate incidents have also been reported during protests and counter-protests related to the war. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
NDTV
02-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
US Man Gets 53 Year Jail For Hate Crime That Killed Palestinian Child: Report
Washington: A man from Illinois was sentenced on Friday to 53 years in prison after a jury convicted him of the murder of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy and the severe wounding of his mother in an October 2023 hate crime stabbing, The Chicago Sun-Times reported. Joseph Czuba, 73, stabbed and killed Wadee Alfayoumi and knifed Hanan Shaheen days after U.S. ally Israel began its war on Gaza following Palestinian Hamas militants' October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. Prosecutors said the stabbing - one of the earliest and worst hate crime incidents in the U.S. since the start of the war - was sparked by anti-Muslim hatred. U.S. rights advocates have noted rising Islamophobia, anti-Arab hate and antisemitism. Czuba, who was the landlord for Shaheen and her son, stabbed the boy 26 times with a military-style knife with a 7-inch (18-cm) serrated blade, authorities said. Shaheen suffered multiple stab wounds in the attack that occurred in Plainfield Township, about 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Chicago. Czuba was found guilty in late February. Shaheen testified during the trial that Czuba told her "you, as a Muslim, must die." Other recent incidents raising alarm in the U.S. about anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian prejudice include the attempted drowning of a 3-year-old Palestinian American girl and the stabbing of a Palestinian American man, both in Texas. Incidents raising alarm over antisemitism and anti-Israel attitudes include an unsuccessful plot to attack a New York Jewish center and an arson attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's residence. Hate incidents have also been reported during protests and counter-protests related to the war.
